Abstract: In order to study the propagation characteristics of short laser pulses in partially stripped plasma, parameters evolution equation of short laser pulses in partially ionized plasma was derived using variational method. The effect parameters of wakefield, relativistic self-focusing and intensity of partially stripped plasma were analyzed. The coupled evolution equations of the laser spot size and the pulse length were derived and the propagation of a short laser pulse in partially stripped plasma was analyzed under the effects of transverse wakefield(TWF) and longitudinal wakefield(LWF). The results show that laser pulse can be allowed to propagate in patitally stripped plasma only when a certain condition is satisfied. The evolution of the pulse length should be considered in partially stripped plasma. When laser pulse and plasma density is constant, with the increasing of ionization degree, wakefield will enhance the self-focusing of the laser pulse further. Longitudinal wakefield has more obvious effect on self-focusing of laser pulse than transverse wakefield. The results may be significant theoretically to the mechanism of ionization-induced injection and acceleration by an intense laser pulse.